Our beautiful stained glass

The lovely and unique stained glass windows are a striking feature of the church building. They were added in 1995 and the congregation, led by Pastor Elvir Hoefer, decided on the Biblical messages they wished to convey. The craftsman/artist was William Griffin.

Look closely, for an unusual feature of these church windows is the use of local birds, animals, vegetation, and even landscape features such as the Kneeling Nun rock formation, prominent in the area.

The first is the Alpha window, which has the first letter in the Greek alphabet, the Alpha, and is a reminder that all things begin with God, and His grace and glory are evident in all the windows.

The “burning bush” reminds us of God’s call to Moses in the desert, and His telling Moses about Himself, with the Hebrew words “I am that I am.” The bush is our beloved Juniper plant whose pollen makes it look as if on fire.

The dove is the first thing to catch your eye in this window, and the halo around it makes it clear that this is the symbol for the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Him, in the form of a dove. (Luke 3:22) We are reminded that the dove is a universal symbol of peace and God’s love.

In Jesus’ day, it was common for rabbis to be seated while they taught, so undoubtedly Jesus took such a position many times during His ministry. On this occasion, Jesus is telling the parable of the sower, seeds, and soils found in Luke 8:5-15, Local plants, such as the tall Ocotillo and prickly pear cactus, are prominent, and a Gambel Quail is helping himself to what is available.

Then, as now, wheat is the basic element in bread, and grapes provide the juice for wine. Throughout New Mexico, we find vineyards and wheat fields. The bread and the wine are symbolic of the elements of the sacrament of Holy Communion (1 Corinthians 11:27).

The beautiful Mimbres River flows 91 miles through this area, just as the Jordan River flows through Palestine. It reminds us that Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, Matthew 3:13-17. The sacrament of Baptism is depicted here and challenges us to remember what baptism means in our lives.

As you enter the Worship Center, two windows form an archway over the door.

On the right, Jesus uses the words from John 10 to describe Himself. “I am the Good Shepherd” recalling the image from Isaiah 40:11.This has been one of the most popular images for Jesus throughout history. As Christians, we are His flock, one body, coming together for worship, fellowship, and encouragement.

On the left, we find Peter in his fishing boat. His vocation had been fishing for food when Jesus said, “Follow Me.” (Matthew 4). Jesus changed him and he became a fisher of men. Peter reminds us to be ‘fishers of men” when we depart from our building.

Jesus loved children and that is depicted here. Children represent our diversity and our responsibility to teach them about God’s love for them and the world. Notice that the children include Hispanics, Anglos, and, Native Americans highlighting the diversity of the people of New Mexico.

The three white, tall Yucca blossoms, a roadrunner, a jackrabbit, plants, and mountains form a beautiful picture. As you look at the window, you can hear God saying, “It is good; that is good.” Quite simply, this window points us back to Genesis 1:31, “And God saw everything He had made, and behold it was very good.” God created all the landmarks, plants, and animals and He declared them all very good. As we see God’s creation, we can also say with Him, “It is good.”